Was this season a failure for the Pacers?
TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
This was supposed to be the year for the Indiana Pacers. After taking the Miami Heat to a deciding seventh game last season, this team appeared to be on a mission to dethrone the champs. A year ago the Pacers and their fans were content with going as far as they did. This season, the expectations were different: Take down Miami, or bust.
As the Heat cruised to a series-clinching win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, the dejected look on the Pacers’ faces said it all: Another long summer of regret was about to begin.
Indiana stormed out of the gate with a 33-7 record in the first 40 games of the season. They looked every bit as good as their expectations warranted. The league’s best defense, a rising star in Paul George and unselfish play on the offensive end. The second half of the season was a different story, as the Pacers only went 23-19 in their final 42 games. I predicted a 55-win season at the beginning of the year. I looked to be way off by the All-Star break, but the Pacers finished with 56 wins.
I believe it was a combination of things that led to the prolonged slump: George saw his shooting percentage dip every month as he dealt with off-court issues and superstar attention; Roy Hibbert lost confidence like he has in the past; Lance Stephenson played differently after getting an All-Star snub; the Pacers’ bench struggled as Luis Scola lost his shot and C.J. Watson battled injuries; and overall the Pacers did a little too much talking and weren’t quite ready to handle success and the expectations of being the top seed.
Perspective is not an easy thing for fans to grasp after a disappointing end to a season. But perspective is still needed:
On the bright side: Reaching the conference finals is still no easy task. George and Stephenson are 24 and 23 years old, respectively. The Heat have reached the NBA Finals in four straight years — and have the best player on the planet. You may call this season a failure, but there are still 26 other teams that would have done anything for this “failure” of a season. Instead of a failure, I would just call it a big disappointment. This team has given its fans the best stretch of basketball since the 1998-00 stretch. A disappointing end to the season doesn’t change that.
On the not-so-bright side: The Pacers just didn’t deserve to dethrone the Heat. They were way too inconsistent and had way too many nights where they just didn’t show up. They were three minutes away from losing to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. Had they played in the Western Conference, this would’ve probably been a 5-seed or lower team. They’ve also not taken advantage of their health. Other than the Danny Granger injury, this team has been extremely healthy these past two seasons. You never know when an opportunity like this will come again. A lot can change in a year’s time, which adds to the uncertainty and disappointment. Another negative: The Eastern Conference will improve (It couldn’t possibly get any worse).
Now the question is: What can the Pacers do this offseason to give them another great opportunity next season?
What we know: George and David West will be here. That’s a great foundation to begin with. These guys are the glue to the team and aren’t going anywhere. More than likely, Hibbert will be back as well. He is signed for several more years, and it’s unlikely that Larry Bird could find a taker for him even if he tried. Hibbert is still an important piece of this franchise moving forward and will need to find the consistency and mental toughness needed to compete at the highest level.
What we don’t know: Will Stephenson be back? I believe he needs to be re-signed, or the Pacers will take a major step back as a franchise. Read my full column on Lance Stephenson’s impending free agency here. George Hill is also under contract for a few more seasons, but he’s the one guy I could see getting moved. In my opinion, he is still better served as a sixth man combo guard. The problem is he is making starter money. The Pacers could really benefit from a true pass-first point guard. If anything becomes available, look for Bird to try and make a move that could solve the Pacers’ woes at the point. As for the bench, the Pacers will begin their search once again to solve what seems like a never-ending problem. Bird appeared to have fixed the bench issues last offseason, but it was once again a huge problem for this Pacers team. In addition to a pass-first point guard, this team needs a sixth man who can make plays and score.
It’s going to be an interesting offseason for this franchise. The moves that the front office make are perhaps more critical than ever this summer. It could mean the difference of another opportunity for a deep playoff run or, conversely, a step back for the franchise. Some bold yet risky moves may be in order.
This is a difficult team to evaluate. They were difficult enough to figure out this season. Imagine how difficult it will be to evaluate what moves to make moving forward. It was a disappointing finish to a very promising season. Still, several key pieces are here to make another run if the right moves are made.
Follow Tyler on Twitter: @sports_tys_20.
